AJ Winsor has only forced a turnover one other time in his football career.
PULLMAN, Wash. — AJ Winsor didn’t sign up to be the last line of defense. But when Oregon State’s punter was called on Saturday, he made it count.
At the tail end of a 2025 season overflowing with special teams blunders, the Beavers allowed 169 punt return yards in a 32-8 loss to Washington State. One of those returns deep into OSU territory ended inexplicably: Winsor made the tackle along the sideline, and forced a fumble by WSU’s Tony Freeman in the process.
The ensuing recovery by Zander Esty was OSU’s first fumble recovery all season. In any phase.
“Dude, I was just trying to force him out of bounds,” Winsor said with a laugh. “I had no intentions of breaking the ball loose, but it worked. I was just trying to force him out of bounds, he cut back inside, and I just grabbed on. Apparently, I got enough of his arm to rip the ball loose.”
Winsor revved the turnover chainsaw when he got to the OSU sideline. It was a small moment of levity in a brutal game for the Beavers, who finish 2-10 on the season.
“They were pretty excited for me,” Winsor said. “I didn’t really think I did anything until I looked back at the replay, and it did look like I did something. Revving the chainsaw was pretty cool.”
The only other defensive play Winsor has made in his life, he said, was a one-handed interception as a cornerback in high school. He slyly described it as “pretty cool,” but nothing like forcing a fumble in a college football game as a punter.
Winsor watched OSU kicker Caleb Ojeda get injured making a sideline tackle earlier this season, another result of poor special teams coverage. Yet he went for it against the Cougars and made what would have been a game-changing play if the game were anywhere near competitive.
Winsor pledged to donate $1 for every yard he punted this season to fight Alzheimer’s. He ended up with 2,774 for an average of 44.74 yards per punt.
It was a hard year for everyone in the OSU football program. Few more so than Winsor, who despite his productivity was utilized far more than a punter should be and faced unique adversity at his position.
At the top of the list: the long-snapping mess over several weeks which began with Dylan Black’s injury, and first appeared in OSU’s debacle of a loss to Fresno State.
“It was one of a kind. I don’t know if something like that has ever really happened before,” Winsor said. “You just kind of take it week by week. It’s me against the ball, and I did what I could and adapted each week to make sure we got a punt off.”
Winsor said he would like to stay at OSU and finish out his college career in Corvallis. But that will be up to new coach JaMarcus Shephard.
Perhaps Shephard will see the tape of that forced fumble on Saturday and pencil Winsor in as a keeper. He could also look at the body of work and what Winsor was able to overcome at the punter spot this season.
“Everybody likes to say a season is a rollercoaster, but this was a dramatic rollercoaster this year,” Winsor said. “All you can do is prepare for the next opportunity and deal with adversity as it comes.”
